By Ana Lepe Vick, as told to Lauren Levinson.
Content warning: The following is a personal story that contains experience with pregnancy loss and stillbirth.
When I took the podium, my voice trembled.
Then the fury took over.
He was still born in 2015, when I was 31 weeks pregnant.
I shocked even myself, shouting that 1 in 170 babies are still born each year.
That one was my son, I cried.
Its a nonprofit dedicated to educating healthcare professionals, advocating for better policies and spreading awareness of stillbirth risk.
This was my second pregnancy and my firstdeliverywent smoothly.
At each prenatal appointment, I was told everything looked perfect.
My doctor always asked, “Is he moving okay today?”
And I always answered without hesitation, “Yes, of course.”
But around 31 weeks, I noticed Owens movement pattern changed and my stomach felt softer.
My instincts knew something was wrong.
What happened next is a blur.
Owen was still alive when I arrived at the hospital, but his heart rate was dangerously low.
While I was getting an ultrasound, the staff prepped the operating room for an emergencyC-section.
At this point, Joshua was on his way.
He arrived just in time to witness the unthinkable the failed attempts to revive our baby.
I was under anesthesia, right beside him, as he watched our world collapse.
They called the time of Owen’s death and handed Joshua our perfect, lifeless son.
Five years later, we finally found out his cause of death was cord compression.
Other members of PUSH and I attend the monthly National Institute of Health’s Stillbirth Working Group meetings.
We also train providers on how to help families who have experienced a loss.
Here in my own state, North Carolina, I meet with local legislators about this.
My husband and children join me for these events because this fight is deeply personal to our family.
In all of my meetings across the country, I carry Owens bear that weighs 4 lbs.
2 oz., and is 18.5 inches just like he was.
It’s a physical reminder of the reason I founded PUSH and why we do the work we do.
I will continue to share my story and demand better care.
Every baby born still #StillCounts.
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